Controller



H. 0. JAMES.

CONTROLLER.

APPLICATIQN TILED SEPT-1| 1917.

Patented May 31, 1921.

. N I l INVENTOR T I 2 ATTORNEY I To all whom it may concern:

UNITED STATES PAE'ENT OFFICE.

HENRY 1). JAMES, or EDGEWOOD PARK, PENNSYLVANIA, AssIGNoR To wEsTrNe- HOUSE ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING, COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENN- SYLVANIA.

CONTROLLER.

7 Specification of Letters Patent. 8 -Pa,tented May 31 1921.

Application filedSeptember 1, 1917. Serial No. 189,390.

Be a knownthat I, HENRY D. James, a citizen Of the United States, and a resident of Edgewood Park, in the county of Alle v gheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Controllers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to controllers and particularly to controllers for governing the operation of electric motors.

One object of my invention'is to provide a controller that shall be simple, rugged and relatively inexpensive in construction and reliable and efiicient in Operation.

More specifically, my invention embodies a controller comprising a plurality of cam disks which are mounted for rotation on the same axis, one ora plurality of stationary Contact members disposed adjacent to the cam disks and a plurality of'levers disposed onopposite sides of the cam-disks and having contact members pivotally mounted thereon which are selectively moved into engagement with the stationary contact member or members by means of the cam disks.

In many motor-governing controllers now in service, a rotatable contact drum is provided with a plurality of variously disposed contact segments which selectively engage contact fingers-disposed adjacent thereto. Controllers of this type are objectionable in many respects, inasmuchas the contact members are not located in a position convenient for repair or replacement of the same'in case of damage by areing and, moreover, the contact members are not disposed in a manner to effect a rapid breaking of the arcs formed by, the opening of the various circuits.

However, in a controller constructed in accordance with my invention, the contact members are located near the frontof the Controller in order to be easily renewed or repaired, and the contact members are controlled by a set of cam disks and levers in amanner to make and break the various circuits with rapidity.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is aside elevational view of a controller constructed in accordance with my invention, the cover beingremoved. Fig. 2 is a sectional view along the line Ill-II of the controller (illustrated in Fig, 1.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, controller 1 embodies a rear frame 2 havlng lugs 3 attached thereto for supporting thesame on a wall-by bolts in any convenlent manner, a top plate 4, a bottom plate 5, and'a cover 6 which is connected to the frame 2 in any suitable manner, as by means of the clamps 7, illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawing. 1

A shaft 8, which is rotatably mounted upon the bottom plate 5, is provided with a plurality of cam disks 9,10, 11 and 12 and is providedwith an extension 13 which projects through the top plate 4;; A suitable handle leis mounted on the top plate 1 and is connected to the extension 13 on the shaft 8 in any convenient manner for effecting the rotation of the cam disks 9, 10, 11 and 12.

Two posts '15 and 16 are respectively mounted between the top and the bottom plates 4: and'5, on-opposite sides of the cam disks 9, 10,11 and 12, for supporting a plurality of levers 17, 18, 19 and 20. A post 21 is also mounted between-the top and the bottom plates 4: and 5 and is disposed between the levers 17 and 19 and the levers 18 and 20 for supporting contact members 22and23.'

Inasmuch as the levers 17 to 20, inclusive, are similarly mounted upon the posts 15 and 16, a description of the mounting of only one lever, namely, the lever 17 will be given in detail. The post 16 is surrounded by suitable insulating material '24:, and a bracket 25 is clamped around the post and insulating material and held in position by a suitable bolt 26. Adjacent to the cam disks, are provided two lugs 27 which extend from the bracket 25 and-between which the lever 17 'is pivotally supported. Adjacent one end of the lever 17 is provided a roller 28 which is held in engagement with the peripheryof the cam dlsk 9 by means of a spr1ng29 which is disposed between an arm '30 extending from the bracket 25 and the end portion of the lever 17 A contact member 31, having contact terminal 32 connected thereto in any convenient manner, 'ispivotally mounted onjthe lever 17 near the end opposite to the roller 28." A spring 33 is disposed between the bracket 25 and an arm 34 extending from the contact member -31 for cushioning the contact member and for maintaining a good connection between the contact terminal 22 and the contact terminal 32 when the lever 17 is operatedby the cam disk 9. A projection 35 on the contact member 31 and a pin 36 on the lever 17 are provided for limiting the are suitably clamped in position in any convenient manner, as by means of bolts 42.

WVhen the shaft 8; is rotated by means of the handle let, the levers l7 and 18 are selectively operated, by means of the cam disks 9-and '10, to move the contact terminals 32 and 39 into engagement with the contact terminal 22, and the levers l9 and 20 are selectively operated by means of the cam disks 11 and'12 to move the contact terminals 40 and 41 intoengagement With the contact terminal 23. v

In the controller illustrated in the drawing, tour cam disks are illustrated for operating four contact terminals into engagement with two stationary contact terminals but, if desired, any number of contact disks may be mounted upon the shaft 8 for operating any number of movable contact terminals. Moreover, if desired, the

various stationary contact terminals may be joined together so that the movable contact terminals, when operated by the various cam disks, shall engage the equivalent of a singl stationary contact terminal.

In the illustrated controller, each pair of movablecontact members engages a single stationary contact member and all of the contact members are located in the front part of the controller in order to be easily repaired and replaced. Such a construction permits the building of a more compact and cheaper controller. 7

Modifications in the structure and arrangement and location of parts may be made withinthe spirit and scope" of my invention and such modifications are intended to be covered by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1'. In a controller, a rotatable shaft, a plurality of cam disks removably mounted on said shaft, a post disposed a'djacentto the disks and having contact members mounted thereon, and a plurality'of pivotally mounted contact levers disposed on opposite sides of said disks, said levers being operated in pairs by said disks to engage said contact members.

post disposed adjacentto said disk, a plu rality of contact members mounted on said post in vertical alinement, and a plurality of pivotally mounted contact levers disposed on opposite sides of said disks, said levers being operated in pairs by the disks to engage said contact members.

3. In a controller, a plurality of cam disks disposed for rotation on the same axis, a stationary contact member disposed adjacent to said cam disks, and two levers mounted onopposite sides of said cam disks and adapted to be operated thereby into engagement with said stationary contact member.

4. In iacontroller, a-plurality of cam disks disposed for rotation on the same axis, a stationary contact member disposed adjacent to said disks, and two levers pivotally mounted adjacent to said cam disks and operated thereby into engagement with said stationary contact member.

5. In a controller, a plurality of cam disks disposed for rotation on the same axis, a post disposed parallel to the axis of rotation of said disks and having a plurality of stationary contact members mounted thereon, levers disposed on opposite sides of said disks and resiliently held in engagement therewith, and contact members pivotally mounted on saidlevers and resiliently held in engagement with the stationary'contact members when the levers are operated by said cam disks.

6. In a controller, a plurailty of cam disks disposed for rotation on the same axis, a stationary contact member, and two levers mounted on opposite sides of said cam disks and provided with contact members that are moved into engagement with said stationary contact member by means of saidcam disks 7. In a controller, a plurality. of cam disks dlsposed for rotation on the same axis, a

stationary contact member, two pivotally mounted levers disposed on opposite sides of said cam disks, movable contact members pivotally mounted on said levers, and resilient means for maintaining saidlevers in 'engagement with said cam disks, said cam disks selectively moving the various movable contact members into engagement with the stationary contact member.

' 8. In a controller, th combination with a plurality o1" cam disks disposed for rotation on the same axis, a plurality of stationary contact members, and pivotally mounted levers disposed on opposite sides of said cam disks, of spring-cushionedcontact members pivotally mounted on said levers, and resilient means for maintaining said levers in engagement with the cam disks to selectively operate the pivotally .mounted contact membersinpairs into engagement with said stationary contact members.

9. In a controller, three supports located at the vertices of an isosceles triangle symmetrically disposed with respect to a central line of said controller, a stationary contact member mounted upon that one of said supports which lies on said line, said contact member having two oppositely disposed portions, a movable contact member for cooperating with one of said oppositely disposed portions mounted upon each of said other two supports, and means for simultaneously actuating said movable contact members into engagement with said stationary contact member. I

10. In a controller having a front portion, a rear portion and end portions, a pair of posts extending between said end portions and symmetrically located near said rear position with respect to a central plane of said controller, a plurality of symmetrically disposed levers pivotally mounted upon each of said posts, and each provided with a movable contact member, a post extending between said end portions and situated in said central plane near said front portion, a plurality of stationary contact members mounted thereon and each having two oppositely disposed portions each adapted to be engaged by one of said movable contact members, a shaft in said plane between said first two posts and rotatably mounted in said end portions, and a plurality of cam disks rotatable with said shaft to actuate said movable contact members in pairs into engagement with said stationary contact members.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 21st day of August HENRY D. JAMES. 

